Over 2,700 smallholder women farmers in Bauchi and Toro Local Government Areas of Bauchi State have received Noiler birds through a new initiative designed to improve household nutrition and strengthen economic resilience in rural communities.
The intervention, launched under the Catalyzing Strengthened Policy Action for Healthy Diets and Resilience (CASCADE) project, supports women by providing them with hardy, climate-resilient Noiler poultry—a breed suited for small-scale, low-income farmers. At a recent flag-off ceremony in Bauchi, CASCADE Programme Manager explained that participants who purchased five birds received five more, along with 12.5kg of feed. Those who bought 10 chicks were given an additional 10 and a 25kg bag of feed.
Beyond distribution, women are receiving training on poultry value chains and integrated farming practices through a network of “mother units” set up to scale knowledge in their communities.
The choice of Noiler poultry is central to the program’s strategy, given the breed’s ability to thrive in tough environmental conditions. This makes it ideal for rural women with limited access to resources. The initiative is geared toward empowering women not only to increase their incomes but also to improve meat and egg consumption at the household level—addressing both economic and nutritional needs.
A critical partner in the project is Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery, which is collaborating with CASCADE to ensure sustainable access to quality poultry. The project also offers a 50% subsidy on key inputs such as chicks, feed, vaccines, and medications, making poultry farming more accessible to the target communities.
This demand-driven approach is expected to expand markets for Noiler products while building a stronger poultry value chain across the region.
The CASCADE project is a joint initiative of CARE Nigeria and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Through this multi-stakeholder collaboration, the project aims to promote a more resilient and nutrition-secure future for smallholder farming families in Bauchi State.
